India Cuts Travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan Over Support for Pakistan

India is seeing a big change in how its people travel abroad. Many Indian tourists are now avoiding Turkey and Azerbaijan. This shift started after both countries showed support for Pakistan following a terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.

After the attack, Indian travel companies began to act. Well-known platforms like MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip, Ixigo, Travomint, and Cox & Kings either paused bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan or told customers not to travel there. These companies are responding to growing public anger on social media. Many users are calling for a boycott of Turkish and Azerbaijani services and products.

MakeMyTrip saw a drop of 60 percent in bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Cancellations have jumped by 250 percent in just one week. EaseMyTrip also reported that 22 percent of bookings to Turkey and 30 percent of bookings to Azerbaijan were canceled since the attack in Kashmir. The company said that current political tensions and safety risks are the main reasons.

The terror attack in Pahalgam led to rising tensions between India and Pakistan. After that, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly supported Pakistan and spoke about close ties between the two countries. Azerbaijan also backed Pakistan during the conflict. These moves upset many people in India and sparked a wave of online protests.

Until recently, Turkey and Azerbaijan were fast-growing travel spots for Indian tourists. In 2024, about 331,000 Indian tourists visited Turkey, a rise of 21 percent from the year before. Azerbaijan welcomed around 244,000 Indian visitors in the same year, which was more than double the 117,000 seen in 2023. These figures came from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Azerbaijan Tourism Board.

Now, that growth is falling. Some Indian travel agencies like WanderOn and Travomint have stopped new bookings to these countries. They have also cut ties with airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Corendon Airlines, and Azerbaijan Airlines. Cox & Kings has also stopped promoting travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Apart from tourism, people are now looking at India’s ties with Turkey in civil aviation. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has worked with Turkish Airlines since 2018. It also uses Turkish-registered planes to handle more flights. Air India has technical and repair agreements with Turkish Technic. Turkish company Celebi provides ground services at major Indian airports in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. These operations are still running, but public attention is growing. Experts say the deals may continue unless there is a major fall in passenger numbers. Right now, IndiGo and Air India make up over 90 percent of India’s domestic airline market.

Trade between India and the two countries is also under review. India’s exports to Turkey in the 2024–25 financial year (April to February) were about 5.2 billion US dollars. These exports included petroleum, medicines, and clothes. Imports from Turkey included fruits, marble, and mineral oils. Around 70 percent of marble imported into India comes from Turkey, but some Indian trade groups have now stopped these imports. Trade with Azerbaijan is much smaller. India exported goods worth 86 million dollars during the same time. These goods included tea, tobacco, and chemicals. Imports from Azerbaijan included crude oil, leather, and raw materials. In 2023, India was the third-largest buyer of Azerbaijan’s crude oil.

This is not the first time India has seen such a reaction. In January 2024, Indian travelers boycotted the Maldives after some Maldivian officials made negative comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That boycott led to a 37 percent drop in Indian tourists to the Maldives.

Now, something similar is happening with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Travel bookings are falling fast. Social media campaigns are calling on citizens to stand with India and stop spending money in countries that support Pakistan. While it is unclear how long this boycott will last, the current impact is clear. Travel companies are changing their policies, and public mood is guiding business decisions.

As politics and tourism become more connected, countries will need to consider the views of Indian travelers. In today’s world, even a statement of support can lead to big changes in global travel.